1 week ago
1
The Congress connected Wednesday (May 13, 2026) took a excavation astatine elder Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary Dattatreya Hosabale implicit his remarks advocating dialog with Pakistan, claiming that his caller sojourn to the United States appeared to person influenced some him and the Sangh.
Reacting to Mr. Hosabale’s remarks successful an interrogation to PTI Videos, Congress wide caput in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the RSS leader’s caller interactions successful the U.S. seemed to person had an interaction connected his outlook.
“It appears that the caller U.S. travel of Shri Hosabale, during which 1 of his colleagues admitted to the PM doing what the U.S. wanted him to do, has impacted him arsenic good arsenic the RSS,” Mr. Ramesh said successful a station connected X.
He besides took a swipe astatine tv channels and supporters of the ruling dispensation, saying they would person “frothed, fumed and fulminated” had akin remarks been made by leaders extracurricular the ideological fold of the RSS. “Just ideate however the bhakt brigade including the assorted TV channels would person frothed, fumed and fulminated if….,”he said.
In the interview, Mr. Hosabale said determination should “always beryllium a window” for dialog with Pakistan and stressed the value of people-to-people engagement successful easing tensions betwixt the 2 countries.
“The information and self-respect of a state person to beryllium protected and the authorities of the time should instrumentality attraction of it. But astatine the aforesaid time, we request not adjacent the doors. We should ever beryllium acceptable to prosecute them successful a dialogue,” the RSS functionary said.
He besides noted that Pakistan’s governmental and subject enactment had mislaid India’s assurance and argued that civilian nine initiatives and greater nationalist engagement could assistance interruption the diplomatic deadlock.
The remarks travel against the backdrop of the RSS’ outreach efforts successful the West during its centenary year. Mr. Hosabale had travelled to the U.S. and the U.K. past month, addressing gatherings astatine institutions including Stanford University and the Hudson Institute, too interacting with members of the Indian diaspora.
The Congress besides referred to caller comments by elder RSS person Ram Madhav during a U.S. event, wherever helium had suggested that India agreed to definite American demands relating to lipid imports and tariffs. Congress person Rahul Gandhi had past described the RSS arsenic the “Rashtriya Surrender Sangh” and accused it of practising “fake nationalism” successful India portion displaying “servility” abroad.
Mr. Madhav aboriginal apologised, saying his remarks were “factually incorrect” and clarifying that India had neither agreed to halt importing Russian lipid nor accepted the tariff measures imposed by the U.S. administration.
